The vast increase of condominium developments in Ballard has increased the property-ownership in Ballard by 120 percent while the average household has decreased to about 1.62 people per household.

A glance at Ballard's demographics and population trends

By Anne-Marije Rook

02/10/2012

That the Ballard population is changing is old news, but now the Department of Planning has data to prove it. At this month's Ballard District Council meeting, demographer Diana Canzoneri presented Ballard specific data taken from the 2010 US Census.

The decennial data not only provides an updated count of people needed to re-appropriate seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, it also provides an interesting look inside Seattle's population.

The data showed that Seattle's population as a whole had increased by eight percent since 2000, which, while slower than the 1990s, is healthy for a U.S. city, said Canzoneri.

The Ballard District, which includes two urban cores - the Ballard Urban Village and Crown Hill Urban Village, has grown by 24 percent.

Canzoneri said that what stood out to her was the significant decline in senior population, something Ballard was formerly known for.

Additionally, the average household size is decreasing in the Ballard District Area, with almost half of the households in the Ballard Urban Village being one person families or unrelated occupants.

And while Ballard is significantly less racially diverse than Seattle as a whole, diversity is increasing, particularly in Crown Hill, said Canzoneri. The increase in Crown Hill's diversity also accounts for a slight increase in household sizes in Crown Hill.

The Ballard District saw a significant increase in property ownership.
People who own their property increased by around 120 percent since 2000, which is likely due to the vast increase of condos.

The complete data will soon be available on the Seattle Department of Planning website, until then anyone can visit the US Census Bureau's data at www.factfinder2.census.gov/

We encourage our readers to comment. No registration is required. We ask that you keep your comments free of profanity and keep them civil. They are moderated and objectionable comments will be removed.

Submissions

Please send us your news tips, photos or ideas of how we can better cover your neigborhood.